Newcastle have been hit by yet another devastating blow ahead of the Carabao Cup final with Sven Botman set for knee surgery, Mail Sport can reveal.
The Dutch defender saw a specialist on Tuesday and it was advised that an operation was the best course of action.
The length of Botman’s absence will be known in the coming days but he will miss the Wembley date against Liverpool on March 16, and beyond.
That means Eddie Howe has lost Botman, Anthony Gordon and Lewis Hall in the space of just a few days.
Gordon will be suspended for the final after his red card against Brighton on Sunday, while Hall has been ruled out for the season with a foot injury.
But the news on Botman is a major blow, given the centre-back only returned from a 10-month ACL absence in January.
This problem is thought to be on his opposite knee and there is hope that it is not as serious an issue.
He has missed the last five games and Newcastle had believed he was ready to return in recent weeks. However, this week’s consultation has revealed that surgery is required.
